


Something To Hold On To

by MissMyMy



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Branch Needs a Hug, Drama, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Gen, It's Hard and Nobody Understands, Jealousy, Other, Self-Doubt, Sensitive Branch, Social Anxiety, Teenage Branch, Trauma, Young Poppy, trying to communicate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:41:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25594483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMyMy/pseuds/MissMyMy
Summary: It's been ten years since the Trolls escaped Bergen Town and everyone feels happy and united. That is except for Branch, who has just moved into his survival bunker outside of Troll Village. He tries to adjust to the bittersweet freedom/loneliness and to not let the demons of his past consume him. He might be forced to confront those feelings when he reunites with someone that he never thought he would see again.
Relationships: Branch/Poppy, OC/OC
Comments: 23
Kudos: 32





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is something that I've been thinking about for at least half a year. I thought long and hard about it and I just want to see it through. Not much else to say, let's see how it goes.  
> Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN TROLLS (2016). IT IS OWNED BY DREAMWORKS.

_ Branch! Branch! Where are you?! Branch! Ahhhh!! _

Branch suddenly found himself lying in his bed half asleep, with unshed tears glazing his eyes and an unsettling feeling in his stomach. Before being able to even contemplate going back to sleep, he felt his body drop.* Letting out a startled gasp, he clung to the sides of the bed like his life depended on it. After a few minutes of steady breathing, he turned on his light just for peace of mind. His clock showed that it was 5:00 in the morning. The gray troll sighed, getting out of bed. He was fully awake and knew that trying to go back to sleep was futile when he felt this unnerved. 

It had been almost two weeks since he moved away from Troll Village. Well, it wasn’t away from Troll Village as much as adjacent to Troll Village. It was far enough that he didn’t feel suffocated, but close enough that he could keep an eye on things.

_ Not that they would notice. _

Branch shook away that thought as he walked down the hallway. He smiled to himself as he admired his home. Trolls usually lived in pods way up in trees, but not him. He lived in an underground bunker that he built with his own hands. It took him weeks to figure out the perfect design, but months to actually build it. While searching the forest for a suitable spot to live, he found a particularly large ditch. He was going to write it off as a safety hazard until he saw potential in the large space. A space big enough for any and everything that he needed to live on his own. All that hard work paid off like he never would’ve believed. 

_ Not too shabby for a 15 year old _ , he thought with pride.

Branch made it to his destination, the kitchen. The kitchen itself was nothing special. It was big enough and quite functional by his standards. However, what made this room feel different from the others was that the floor was hardwood and not just hardened dirt. Ebony was an extremely rare wood, one that he didn’t expect to find deep in the forest. It gave him bittersweet comfort as it reminded him of someone he loved dearly. 

After heating up the kettle on the stovetop, he got out the ingredients that he needed as he waited for the water to boil. Branch hated waking up in the middle of the night back when he lived in a pod. When he couldn’t go back to sleep, it was easier for certain unwanted thoughts to come to mind, so he would have to find something to do. Thankfully, there was always something to do in his bunker, even if it was as simple as making a snack. On top of that, there was no one that would wake up if he was making too much noise.

Branch felt himself relaxing as the sweet smell of fresh hot chocolate filled his nostrils. He sat in his small dining area, waiting for it to cool down some. Looking into the steaming cocoa, he felt that he was still missing something. His half lidded eyes widened when he remembered what that something was. The young troll went to his herbs and spices cabinet, pulling out a bag of Mentha leaves. Branch took a few and gently placed them in the hot chocolate. He took a long sip of the drink, enjoying the warmth it sent through his body, then set it down with a hum of satisfaction. 

When he finished his drink, he found himself staring down at the leaves leftover in the mug. As he continued to stare, his mood shifted from content to melancholy. It was an almost comforting sadness until memories started kicking in. Images of him as a small child with his loved ones flashed through his mind. It wasn’t long before he felt tears in his eyes, which he blinked away. He needed to stop before he started thinking about the not so pleasant memories. Before his mind forced him to look back on things he couldn’t change.

Branch suddenly decided that some time on the treadmill would do him good. He rinsed out his mug in the sink, put away the Mentha leaves, then headed straight for his exercise room. 

* * *

Many miles away from Troll Village, a lone troll laid rest under a tree in the forest. All of a sudden, she woke up, scanning her surroundings with a trained alertness. Once relaxed, she sat up in her makeshift bed and gazed at the fire nearby. The fire was constructed of her own hair which was pitch black, so the troll had used what few resources she had to create an artificial warmth and glow without burning the hair. It had depleted some, but the troll decided that it was fine since the sun would be up in a couple of hours. She reached into her hair and pulled out a map. It wasn’t as precise as she would’ve liked, but it did confirm that she was in the right territory. At least, that’s what she hoped to be true. It shouldn’t take more than a day’s walk, if it is. She put away the map and focused on the serenity of the fire. When the sun came up, she’d leave. This time, she wouldn’t stop until she found them.


	2. Congratulations!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch gets a visit from a certain pink nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO glad that I finished this chapter so soon! I'm really hoping that I can be consistant on updates with this and Blighted Happiness. I'm still working on it. That being said, here is the first chapter!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TROLLS. IT IS OWNED BY DREAMWORKS.

Branch rubbed the leftover sleepiness from his eyes as he headed down to the lowest level of his bunker. He was glad that he decided to put in an elevator lift as opposed to stairs. That would’ve been taxing even for him. When he got to the basement, he made a beeline for the coffee maker. Branch had only started drinking coffee last year and admitted that he was semi-addicted to it. He’d always had a sweet tooth, so he didn’t know why his tolerance for the bitter liquid was so high. Then again, most things made by trolls managed to be at least a little sweet. He made a mental note to do some research on that topic. There was probably an explanation in one of the books he borrowed from the library. 

Just as Branch brought the coffee to his lips, he was interrupted by the last sound he wanted to hear.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

His cup nearly slipped out of his hand and his feet just barely missed the hot coffee that splashed on the ground. He let out an annoyed sigh as he had a feeling who was knocking on his door at this time of day.

"Braaanch!”

_ Poppy.  _

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

_ No use putting off the inevitable. _

Branch threw on his robe, not wanting to be seen in his underwear. He made his way back up to the level of his bunker that was above ground. After taking a savoring sip of coffee, he opened the door to reveal the pink nightmare herself, Poppy. On the surface, she looked very innocent with her pink palette and cute demeanor, but Branch knew better. He knew how mischievous and stubborn she could be, especially when it came to him. Whether it be delivering him countless party invitations or forcing him to attend social functions, sometimes physically. And the girl was surprisingly strong for a twelve year old. He didn’t know why she insisted so hard that they were friends as he wasn’t really nice to her like her other friends were. Then again, he hasn’t ever told her or anyone that they weren’t friends. Even he didn’t have the heart to do that. 

“Good morning Branch!” she shouted.

Branch’s eyes closed and his ears folded inward on instinct from her loud greeting.

“Thank you for that Poppy, I didn’t need my eardrums today.”

“Sorry,” she said. “I’m just happy to see you.” 

Poppy threw her arms around his waist, minding the mug in his hand. She was still shorter than him, so her hair got in his face. She pulled away when she heard him blow her hair out of his mouth and gave him an apologetic look.

“How come you haven’t been to the village since you left?”

“I’ve been busy,” he said, taking another sip of coffee.

“Ugh,” Poppy looked distastefully at the black liquid. “Why do you drink that stuff?”

“It helps me stay awake and put up with certain trolls.”

Poppy stared in confusion for a second, then she gave him an annoyed look when she got it. He’d be lying if he said that look didn’t make him want to laugh.

"Someone's grumpy, did you sleep okay last night?

“No,” he answered bluntly.

“Oh.”

There was an awkward pause between them before Branch mercifully moved on.

“So, why are you here?”

Poppy had a big smile on her face as she reached into her hair.

“Branch, my man, how would you like to-”

“No.”

“You didn’t even let me say it!”

“You’re going to invite me to a party,” he said. “It’s obvious.”

To Branch, parties were just a big, loud, shiny invitation to be discovered by the Bergens. No one else wanted to see it that way, claiming that they were safe. The trolls even threw a party the other week to celebrate ten years of freedom from the Bergens. Branch knew that it was louder than most other parties, because he could hear them from his part of the forest when he was still working on his bunker. He had to forgo finishing it, so that he could keep a lookout in case a Bergen heard them. It was an incredibly stressful night.

“Not exactly,” she said, pulling something out of her hair.

Poppy handed him what very much looked like an invitation. Reluctantly, he took it with his hair, keeping it at a distance, just in case. He opened it and a paper version of himself popped up along with the words “Congratulations Branch.” Soon after, a sprinkle of glitter shot up, making him glad it was away from his drink. The look he had on her was between disbelief and skepticism.

“You’re inviting me to a party  _ for me _ ?” he asked.

“Yes! Well it’s not a party exactly. It’s more of a get together.”

His expression was now completely skeptical.

“An  _ intimate _ get together,” she clarified.

“Right. What kind of party even is this Poppy?”

“So glad you asked,” Poppy said, gesticulating with her hands as if she were heading something. “It’s a combination of a housewarming party and graduation party, since you left before we could throw you either.”

Branch almost groaned at the blatant guilting tone of voice on the last part of her sentence. 

_ Wait, housewarming? _

“No one’s coming into my bunker Poppy!”

Poppy looked taken aback by the sudden change in mood.

“I know, that’s why it’s gonna be in my pod,” she said as if it was obvious. “Give me some credit Branch.”

That did give him some sense of relief, but he still wasn’t convinced.

“Exactly how many people are coming to this  _ get together _ ?”

“It’ll just be me, my dad, and the Snack Pack.”

“The what?”

“Oh, right, you don’t know,” she giggled. “It’s the new name that me and my friends call ourselves.”

Branch still looked confused, so she chose to elaborate.

“You know, Cooper, Guy Diamond, Biggie, Suki, Smidge, Creek-”

“Oh no.”

Branch was ready to shut this conversation down right there. Him and Creek did not get along at all. This was partially due to past situations involving the two that he’d rather not discuss. The other reason was that Branch simply couldn’t stand his condescending, self-righteous, “zen” attitude. Every other troll thought that he was so cool and wise, but Branch saw right through his bullcrap.

“Come on Branch, I can’t just not invite him, he’s my friend.”

“Yes,  _ your _ friend, Poppy,”

“I know, I know, but you should still come. The twins will be there too.”

Branch’s face softened as he quickly realized she was talking about Satin and Chenille. He hadn’t spoken to them in a few weeks.

Poppy could tell that she finally got his attention.

“They really miss you,” she said with sympathy.

Branch looked away as he thought about the last time he saw them and remembered that they weren’t exactly happy with him. However, Poppy was the one telling him this and she wouldn’t lie about that. He didn’t want to think about that at the moment and thought back to the main topic. 

“Will there be music?” he asked.

“Not loud music, and it won’t be all night or anything.”

“Any fireworks or bright lights?”

“No, I already told Cooper.”

“Glitter?”

Poppy actually looked a bit pained at that one and let out a disappointed sigh.

“No.”

Branch tested her with another skeptical look.

“I promise,” she said. “This is all just to wish you well on your newfound independence.”

Branch seemed to actually be thinking it over, which was more than what he did with most invitations.

“Please Branch, we just wanna show that we care about you,” she said.

There was that guilting again, only this was worse, because it was unintentional. Branch sighed once again as he made his choice.

“Fine Poppy,” he conceded.

The smile on her face was ridiculously big.

“Really?!” Poppy exclaimed.

“Yes, when is it?”

“It’s tonight at 6 o'clock,” she said, barely containing her excitement.

“Alright, I’ll be there.”

“Okay! See you then!”

With that, Poppy ran off to get home.

“No glitter Poppy! I mean it!”

Branch finished the rest of his coffee as he went back inside. He might as well get started on his daily tasks before going to this “get together.” 

  
  


When Poppy made it home, she opened her door to see her friends in varying states. Satin and Chenille were having an argument over decorations while Guy Diamond offered input, Suki was doing test runs on her turntables, Biggie and Cooper were hanging up the banner that read “Congratulations Branch,” Smidge was organizing the gifts and Creek was observing everyone with mild annoyance. When they saw Poppy at the door, their looks were of anticipation, disappointment or expectation.

“Well Poppy?” Chenille asked, impatiently.

“Did he say yes?” Guy Diamond asked.

Creek let out a snort at the thought.

Poppy couldn’t resist messing with them as she made her eyes downcast and gave a long sigh.

“I’m sorry guys, but...”

Most of them looked disappointed except for Creek who had a look akin to “I told you so.”

“...he’s totally coming!”

The different looks of shock on their faces were hilarious, especially Creek’s. 

“Seriously?” Smidge asked.

“Yep! The party, I mean get together, is on, so all hands on deck everybody!”

Suki’s shock went away the quickest as she simply said “sweet” and went back to her task. Satin and Chenille looked the most excited even though the latter tried to appear more indifferent. Smidge actually did seem indifferent as she continued organizing. Biggie, Guy and Cooper all had smiles on their faces as they looked forward to seeing Branch. Creek was the only one who hadn’t fully processed what Poppy just told them. He hadn’t bothered helping with the preparations, he was so sure Branch wouldn’t come.

“Creek,” Poppy said. “Can you help me prepare the food?”

“Of course Poppy,” he said, putting on a smile. “My pleasure.”

“Remember girls, earth tones,” she told the twins.

“Got it,” they said in unison.

“And only soft music Suki.”

Suki gave Poppy a thumbs up without looking up.

“Oh yeah, and no glitter,” Poppy added.

The Snack Pack gave a collective gasp.

“I know, but it’s what Branch wants,” she said. “So, take it easy tonight, okay Guy?”

Guy Diamond gave a somewhat begrudging nod. Poppy smiled in appreciation as her and Creek went to the kitchen.

“You sure this isn’t a funeral Poppy?” Creek asked, earning a nudge in the arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to leave a comment!


	3. Intimate Get Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Branch to go to his party/Get Together!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! I am so glad to have this one finished! I'm happy with how it turned out. Here it is!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TROLLS (2016). IT IS OWNED BY DREAMWORKS.

“Why did I agree to this?”

Branch stood right at the border of Troll Village, staring down King Peppy’s pod with uncertainty. It felt weird coming back into the village for the first time since he moved out. He kept an eye on everyone from afar, where they couldn’t see him. Of course, he knew that he’d be going back sometime soon for supplies and whatnot, but he was less than prepared for the trolls to see him. 

For living deeper in the forest, he remained fairly clean, although he probably also had some random bits of bark on him, as collecting sticks will do to you.  _ Branch covered in bark, hilarious. _ The only thing different about his appearance was his clothes. His brown shorts were now patched up after weeks of hard labor nearly tore them apart and he now wore a handmade leaf vest. He liked his look, as it was functional. Unintentionally, he thought of what Satin and Chenille would think. 

_ They’d probably damn near have a heart attack,  _ he thought with a smirk.

It suddenly got darker outside and Branch looked up to see the clouds were now gray and closer together. He knew it was about to rain and for a second, he considered running back to his bunker before it even started. However, his conscience outweighed his social anxiety when he thought about how happy Poppy was when he actually said “yes”.

_ ‘I know I said yes, but I couldn’t come because of the rain.’ Yeah, that’ll hold up with Poppy. _

He shivered as he thought about how furious she would be with him. Saying “no” to a party was one thing, but doing that after RSVPing was a downright party foul, especially when you were the guest of honor. Even he knew how uncool that was.

The grey troll swallowed his pride and went forth into the village. To his relief, many of the trolls were packing up and heading back to their own pods to avoid the upcoming rain. The ones who did see him, smiled at him and said hello. Branch didn’t say anything, but had the courtesy to wave in return. He was almost at the pod, until he tripped over something, hitting his face on the ground.

“My goodness! Are you alright, Branch?”

_ Yes, I love feeling dirt against my teeth,  _ is what he would’ve said if he didn’t recognize that voice.

Branch looked up to see Dr. Plum Plimsy offering him a hand. He took it and stood up, dusting the dirt off his face and spitting it out of his mouth.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said.

“Sorry about that,” she said. “It appears my welcome mat was too far from my door, I was going to clean it.”

Welcome mats were so pointless, in his opinion. Every troll was welcome to another troll’s home. The only exception was Branch himself. 

Dr. Plum was one of the few trolls that lived on ground instead of in the trees. It made sense as sometimes trolls who required treatment needed the quickest access. 

“You might want to hold off on that,” he said, pointing up.

“I suppose you’re right,” she said, giving him a warm smile. “How’ve you been?”

“Fine,” he said, instantly.

_ Nice Branch. _

Dr. Plum didn’t seem too convinced and looked around to make sure no one was closeby. 

“Are you still having nightmares?” she practically whispered.

Branch’s eyes widened before nervously looking away and folding his arms close to his chest.

“You know, I’m not just a medical doctor Branch,” she said, moving closer. “If you ever feel like you need to talk, I’m here to listen.”

Branch refused to look at her as the feelings of vulnerability from that early morning pulsed through his nerves. The doctor meant well, but this was not what he needed to think about right now. He flinched when he felt Dr. Plum’s hand on his shoulder.

“It’s your decision dear, don’t feel pressured,” she said.

Branch gave a quick nod before gesturing toward the pod he was heading to.

“I have to go, I’ll be late,” he said, then left.

Dr. Plum took it in stride and bid him farewell. He hadn’t meant to be so abrupt, but he just couldn’t deal with that at the moment.

He stood outside of Poppy’s pod, which was, of course, pink. When Branch heard about Poppy getting her own pod, he assumed she would get one near her friends. However, this was more of a sub pod as it was still connected to King Peppy’s pod. King Peppy was probably holding off on giving her a real pod until she was a teenager. Smart decision in his opinion.

Branch felt the rain start to hit his skin, then took a few deep breaths, bracing himself, and finally knocked on the door. 

“Poppy?” he called.

There were some hushed voices coming from inside before the door swung open.

“Congratulations Branch!”

Immediately, he noticed that it wasn’t nearly as bright as other parties. The balloons were earth tones, but still managed to look festive. The redder colors like burnt sienna and auburn were made into a nice garland over the table of gifts. On either side of the banner were brown and green balloons made into trees. A little on the nose, but creative he supposed. There weren't that many people either. King Peppy, Poppy, and everyone in the Snack Pack was there, even the twins. And  _ Creek _ . Less than thrilling, but whatever. On top of that, the music wasn’t annoying or loud. By troll standards, this really was more of an intimate get together. He had to admit that he was impressed. Only to himself, though. Poppy would never let him live that down. 

“Don’t just stand there! Come in!” Poppy said, pulling him into the pod.

King Peppy was the first to greet him, with a strong hug.

“Congratulations young man,” he said, patting him on the back.

Branch uttered “thanks” as Poppy continued to pull him away. He caught eyes with Suki at the turntables who smiled and offered a V-sign. Smidge gave him a polite wave as he passed by. Creek was giving him a fake smile that he was used to. 

“Branch, so nice to see you among the living after you’ve been hiding away in that cellar,” Creek greeted.

“I live in a bunker,” Branch replied, unamused.

“Is there a difference?” Creek asked.

"There is when you design it and work on it for five weeks,” Branch replied.

Creek's smile deteriorated some as he seemed almost sheepish. Poppy was right to drag Branch away at that moment.

Biggie, Cooper, and Guy Diamond bombarded him with a hug which irked him a little, but it didn’t last long. 

“Hey Branch!” Cooper said.

“Congratulations Branch!” Biggie said.

“Good to see you buddy,” Guy said.

When they were done, Poppy brought him over to the couch. Sitting on the couch were Satin and Chenille, whose eyes lit up as he approached. Poppy pushed him to sit down between them.

“I’ll go get you a plate,” Poppy said, walking away.

Branch could feel their eyes boring into him as they waited for him to speak. He cleared his throat and turned to Satin first.

“Hey Satin,” he greeted.

“Hi Branch!” she replied, smiling brightly.

He awkwardly smiled back at her, feeling somewhat relieved. Then, he turned to Chenille, whose face morphed into a scowl and her arms were crossed.

“Hey Chenille,” he said.

“Hey,” she responded with a hint of anger in her voice.

Even though he was expecting that from her, that didn’t stop him from feeling guilt in his stomach. 

“Branch, where’d you get that vest?” Satin suddenly said.

He knew that she was trying to ease the tension by changing the subject.

“Oh, I, um, made it,” he said.

Immediately, Satin's hands were on his vest, looking impressed and proud. Even Chenille looked interested, checking out his vest as well.

“It looks so good,” Satin said, then looked at her sister. “Doesn't it look good, Chenille?”

Chenille’s interest was downgraded to more neutral territory.

“It’s adequate stitching,” Chenille said.

Man, she was putting him through the ringer. 

“Could do without those,” she said, pointing down at his shorts.

“Yeah, what happened Branch?" Satin asked, giggling.

“Labor,” he said.

"You were pregnant?" Satin quipped.

Branch couldn't help but snort at that. He felt a sliver of relief when Chenille covered up a smile with her hand.

“You didn’t think to just make a new pair?” Chenille asked, wryly.

“I was kind of busy,” he said.

“For two weeks?” Satin asked. “You could’ve asked us to do it.”

“Why would I do that?”

Satin didn’t seem to mind that, but it seemed to rub Chenille the wrong way. She let out an indignant “humph” and turned away from him. Satin looked at her sister with concern, like she wanted to comfort her. Branch felt that guiltiness again as if it hit him in the stomach.

_ Come on Branch, just suck it up. It’s Satin and Chenille. _

Branch looked at the other guests, who were mingling on the other side of the pod. He took a deep breath once again before speaking so low that only the twins could hear him.

“Girls,” Branch started.

Judging by the tone of his voice, they knew to give him their full attention.

“I should have talked to you when I left,” he said, staring down at his lap. “I’m sorry.”

He could feel Chenille turn towards him.

“I’m just trying to figure things out on my own, it’s nothing personal.”

The twins were silent at first, then they exchanged looks with each other before turning their attention back to him. 

“We get it Branch,” Satin said.

“But, we’re still here you jerk,” Chenille followed.

Branch was sure they didn’t understand what he was actually talking about, but that wasn’t their fault. In fact, he preferred it that way.

“I know,” he said, looking at her, then Satin. “Thank you.”

Multiple “dings” were heard, signaling that it was hug time. 

_ Oh no. _

Satin and Chenille smirked, then they trapped Branch in a tight hug. He was annoyed, but not enough to pull away. 

CLICK!

Branch looked up in horror to see Poppy with a camera being held with her hair as she had a plate of food in her hands.

“Sorry, couldn’t resist,” she said, setting his plate down in his lap.

“Send us a copy!” Satin and Chenille said simultaneously, letting go of him.

Branch leaned back in his seat, rolling his eyes as he ate the food, which was actually really good. As everyone else went to get themselves a plate, Branch found himself relaxing. It wasn’t as comfy as the grounded space of his bunker, but it wasn’t bad. It was kind of nice. 

  
  


Deep within the forest, there was a troll on the ground writhing in pain, biting down on her lip to prevent herself from yelling. Lying ten feet away from her was the fresh carcass of a large insect known as a horse wasp. She unknowingly came too close to its territory and it attacked her quite aggressively. The troll managed to stab it in a few vital areas with her knife before it finally went down. Her arm was now displaying a bloody welt forming from where its stinger swiped her during the fight. She was thankful that it was alone and not with a group, as there would have been a hive nearby. 

The troll forced herself to sit up, giving herself a headache in the process, and pulled a canister of warm water from her hair. She pried it open with her mouth and gradually poured it on her wound washing the blood away into the ground. She let out a painful hiss from the initial contact, but it was silenced as the water became soothing. If only she still had some aloe to better treat it. Putting the canister back into her hair, she retrieved a roll of bandage and got to work wrapping it around her arm. Using her free hand and teeth, she tied it securely.

She took five minutes to collect herself before getting up on her feet. Feeling drops of rain, she briefly considered taking shelter under a tree for a while. She was fatigued enough as it was. However, the thought was dismissed when she remembered how close she was to her destination. That horse wasp delayed her and it was only a matter of time before the pain resurfaced and she started feeling lightheaded. It would take longer, but she refused to risk getting attacked by another predator by staying still. She left, moving at a slow, but steady pace, putting her mind over matter.

_ Please be there Branch. _

**_NOTE: DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY END NOTES OR WHY THE FIRST ONE KEEPS REPEATING, SO I'M DOING THIS._ **

**_THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT! THERE'S MORE TO COME SOON. I'M REALLY ENJOYING THIS ONE!_ **


	4. Intimate Get Together Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch allows himself to relax a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is overdue. I recently went back to work and this particular chapter was tough to write for a few reasons. That being said, I finally finished it. Also, I put the ages of all the previously shown characters below, if anyone's curious. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TROLLS (2016). IT IS OWNED BY DREAMWORKS.
> 
> Ages:   
> Branch - 15  
> Poppy - 12  
> Satin & Chenille - 13  
> Biggie - 15  
> Guy Diamond - 15  
> Creek - 15  
> Cooper - 14  
> Peppy - 53  
> Plum Plimsy - 32

The past couple of hours had gone by comfortably mundane. King Peppy didn’t stay for long as he had some last minute errands to tend to. Branch was unsure why, but he felt somewhat relieved. After everyone ate, they set up to play some games. Thankfully, they were all relatively quiet games. 

They started off with a game of charades. Most of the Snack Pack mimicked things that were tangible, so it was fairly easy. It got rather silly as the guesses became intentionally outlandish. The most obscure had been Poppy, who somehow mimicked a “fun loving ring tailed lemur.” 

In between turns, Branch caught up with the twins. It turned out that they were planning on moving into their own pod, within the next month and not so subtly hinted that they could use a handy pair of arms to help them. They also coaxed him into sharing lunch with them and their dad next week. He agreed, admitting to himself that he did miss when those were frequent. 

After everyone went a few times, Branch finally decided to take a turn, much to Poppy’s delight. He felt an odd sense of satisfaction when no one managed to give more than a few vague ideas. After a few minutes, he finally revealed that he was a “norse teenager, with progressive views, riding a dragon.” Everyone in the room just stared at him questionably. Aside from Satin holding back a laugh, Chenille rolling her eyes fondly and Creek remarking “of course.”

Next they played a game that was painfully similar called “Guess the Troll.” The way it basically went was that one person would describe a random troll from the village using a card with few traits. When someone answered correctly, they would read off the next card and so on. The only significant rule was that no one was allowed to change their hair color. Most of Branch’s guesses were right and he ended up being head to head with Poppy. It wasn’t a surprise as the princess did go out of her way to try and remember every troll. She had a fairly strong memory. Branch would call it a gift if she didn’t use it against him.

“I am a troll of two professions that run under the same title, I like spending my free time in the library,” Branch read aloud.

He knew who it was as soon as he read it, but the same couldn’t be said about everyone else.

“We have a library?” Cooper asked.

Branch resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he knew that the library wasn’t typically the place to be for trolls. He, on the other hand, could spend hours in the library. On several occasions, he had.

“Mags Gumdrop?” Satin guessed.

He shook his head in response.  _ Not even close _ .

“Sky Toronto?” DJ guessed.

_ Nope. _

“Dr. Moonbloom?” Poppy guessed.

“Close,” he signed with his hand.

“You?” Creek asked, partially joking.

“Seriously?” he asked.

When it became apparent that no one would get it, Branch just gave the answer.

“It’s Dr. Plum Plimsy,” he revealed. “Moonbloom’s sister.”

“Oh,” the Snack Pack went simultaneously. 

While annoyed, Branch did find it funny when he saw Poppy berating herself for missing that.

After that, they decided to play a game of tumbling towers (Jenga). While Smidge was setting up the tower, Biggie of all people started talking to him.

“So Branch, how’s it been living by yourself?” he asked.

Branch glanced up at the larger troll, who seemed to have a genuine interest. He didn’t care too much for small talk, but it was an expected question. 

“It’s been productive,” Branch responded.

He got a few confused looks from Biggie and the others, so he decided to elaborate.

“There’s just a lot to keep track of, it’s a lot of space.”

“How much space exactly?” Poppy asked, leaning in.

“It’s twelve floors, not including the one above ground,” he said quickly.

All of the Snack Pack, looked at him with wide eyed expressions. Even Smidge, who stopped stacking the blocks entirely and Suki, who stopped the music with a somewhat comedic needle scratch. 

“I’m sorry, did you say  _ twelve floors _ ?” Chenille asked.

Branch simply nodded in response.

“Dang, that’s a lot of space,” Cooper said.

“Yeah, but it’s mostly storage space,” Branch said.

“For what?” Guy Diamond asked.

“Food, supplies, other things,” he said.

Before Guy could pry for more information, Poppy interrupted.

“No wonder it took you so long,” she said.

Branch remembered Poppy’s constant annoyance whenever he would turn down a party to work on his bunker. Most of the time, she respected his wishes.

“I  _ did _ say I was building a bunker,” Branch said.

“Well, I’ve never  _ seen _ a bunker before,” she replied.

Most of the Snack Pack gave nods or verbal agreements.

“I bet it’s super quiet,” Satin said with a smile.

“It’s definitely more restrained,” he admitted.

“You mean brooding,” Chenille smirked.

He shot her a look of mild annoyance.

“Do you even get sunlight?” Creek suddenly asked.

Branch inwardly cringed at that, but kept a cool exterior.

“Yes, that’s why I have a top floor,” he replied.

Before the conversation could continue, Smidge finished the tower. The game was pretty uneventful, for the most part. The only thing that he found amusing was Poppy’s mini freakouts at nearly knocking the tower down and Chenille getting impatient at Biggie’s indecisiveness. It ended up being Copper who knocked down the tower, although he lasted longer than Branch would’ve expected.

The game that they were currently playing was “Name that song.” It was simple as DJ would play an instrumental version of a song and whoever guessed it first got a point. So far, he was sitting it out. He knew most of the songs and answered them in his head, but was content with observing. When the trolls gave answers at the same time, Branch did help DJ pinpoint who got it right first.

Branch had to admit that he thought that he would be annoyed this far into the “get together,” but he wasn’t. It was a different tune from the average troll party, yet nothing felt forced. He was kind of, dare he say, enjoying himself. 

That is, until the next song played.

The moment it came on, he froze in recognition. It was just the music, but he could hear the lyrics clear as day. He could hear them being sung in a younger, much happier voice that used to be his own. Branch tried to ignore it, even folding his ears inward to deafen the music, but it was in vain.

_ And I need you now tonight _

_ And I need you more than ever _

_ And if you only hold me tight _

_ We'll be holding on forever _

_ And we'll only be making it right _

_ 'Cause we'll never be wrong _

He heard the screaming voice of his grandmother, saw the giant, menacing hand reach for him, and then felt himself being pushed out of harm's way. Then he just lied on the ground, looking helplessly up at his captured loved one as she screamed in terror. Pathetically holding out his hand as if that would do anything.

_ “GRANDMA!” _

“Branch!”

“Suki! Turn it off!”

Immediately, the music stopped and Branch’s flashback abruptly ended. Branch let out a sharp gasp, trying to even his panicked breathing. He swore he wasn’t moving a muscle, but he could feel himself shaking. He jumped in fear when he felt his arms being grabbed, but soon heard soft voices that he recognized. Branch slowly opened his eyes, seeing a big blur of pink and blue, then blinked a few times to see better. Tears rolled down his face, but he could tell that he was already crying. He saw Satin and Chenille, realizing that the voices he had just heard were theirs. 

“We’re here Branch,” Satin said, trying to keep her voice straight.

“Take deep breaths and count with me after each one, okay?”

Branch took in what they were saying and followed Chenille’s instructions, counting all the way to twenty. The pain of his flashback was still fresh, but their comfort did at least help him feel better physically. They gave him a gentle hug after he calmed down some.

As soon as they pulled away, he realized that he was being stared at by everyone in the room. His awareness of the situation fueled his anxiety for a different reason. They all watched him while he was crying, being vulnerable. This was way too much for him. He couldn’t even properly read their expressions, he was so distressed. But he didn’t have to, he knew that he had alarmed them. That wasn’t why he came there. He didn’t want them to freak out because of him, for once. 

“Branch?” Guy Diamond asked, reaching his hand out slightly.

Before anything else happened, Branch got up.

“I have to go,” he said, quietly.

“No, Branch,” Chenille said.

“Please don’t,” Satin said.

He took a moment to give them a meaningful, apologetic look. That didn’t lessen the sting he felt from the hurt in their eyes. He passed by the others, not even looking at them and went straight for the door. Just when he opened it, he felt someone grab his hand.

“Branch, wait,” Poppy said. “Please stay.”

“Poppy...” he started.

“We’re friends, we can talk about this, you don’t have to-”

“ **Poppy** ,” he raised his voice.

It wasn’t angry or yelling, but loud enough to get her to stop. 

“…  _ please, _ ” he said.

After a few moments, Poppy loosened her grip on his arm, then let go entirely.

“Thank you,” he softly said, then left.

The Snack Pack was dead quiet when the door shut behind Branch. They all had varying levels of worriedness. Smidge glanced around the room with questioning eyes to see if anyone understood what just happened. Biggie, Guy and Cooper were stuck, not knowing what to do. DJ Suki looked down at her turntables then at the door with embarrassed guilt. Satin looked as if she was going to cry, wanting to go after Branch. Chenille seemed like she wanted to be angry, but it was slowly being taken over by dejection. Creek seemed more unnerved than anything else, trying to settle himself with a meditative pose and deep breathing. Poppy was confused and a little scared, if she was being honest. She knew that Branch could be moody and anxious, but nothing like this had happened before. But the twins were comforting him like it had happened. The way he freaked out looked like he was in pain, emotional pain. Then, he wouldn’t even look at her. What was it about the music that set him off? Should she have just let him leave? Could she have helped him if she didn’t?

All she knew was that at that moment, she felt like a very bad friend.

Branch felt the rain hit his face after closing the door behind him. It was like the reality of the present washing over him. He kept moving, feeling his anxiety slowly going away the farther he went from Troll Village. When he reached the area of the forest just outside the village, he stopped. He buried his face in his hands and let out a long yell of frustration that turned into anguish. He felt a new rush of tears in his eyes.

_ God, Branch, what's wrong with you? _

Everything was going fine, until his damn trauma messed him up. For God’s sake, he didn’t even  _ mention _ the Bergens and he still managed to ruin everything. 

_ The twins probably hate me right now. Poppy too. _

As much as he made fun of Poppy, he never tried to make her feel bad. But he could tell just by the way she let go of him that he hurt her feelings. He didn’t mean to, but his fight or flight reflexes kicked in and he had to get out of there.

After having his pity party, he began to walk home. Branch was glad for the pouring rain, because it masked his tears perfectly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, my poor Branch. He's in for a doozy the next chapter. Just wait and see.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Please feel free to leave a comment. I'm working on the next chapter and will post it as soon as I can.


	5. I Know That Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch rescues a stranger, but is she really a stranger?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished this chapter! By God, this took me so long to get around to! Nevertheless, it’s here. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TROLLS (2016), IT IS OWNED BY DREAMWORKS.

The lone troll trudged through the muddy forest, doing her best to keep her eyes open. She had been walking for about two hours and the pain from her wound came back thirty minutes ago. The rain only added discomfort as it pelted against her skin continuously. 

How much further until she was there? 

The troll groaned when she got a pulsing feeling through her head. It came and went as if to remind her of her physical condition. The harder she fought to stay conscious, the more her body rebelled. On top of that, her vision was starting to betray her, showing blurred scenery in the already dark forest. She attempted to blink away the blurriness, not noticing the sudden steepness of the path ahead.

The only reaction she could manage was a breathless gasp as her foot stepped into the air and she fell. It was a couple of seconds before she hit the ground, but that wasn’t the end of it. She kept tumbling down what she assumed was a hill until she fell into thick mud.

The mud immediately went up her nostrils and into her mouth, making her gag on reflex. The mud wasn’t especially deep, but it was enough so that it was difficult to breathe. Her whole body ached, particularly her arm, which now had her entire weight on it. She used her good arm to push herself up and even that caused her strain. Her eyes opened, scanning for any sign of a troll or any living thing. The troll’s body was screaming for rest, starting to give out on her.

_No, not yet._

Just then, a faint light came into her sight.

  
  


Branch walked slowly through the woods, looking around every other moment. Since he left the village, it got pretty dark. The young troll wasn’t even halfway home yet and couldn’t see the path as well. Thankfully, he had his flashlight and memorized the way to his bunker by then. 

He was still trying to shake off the events of the past twenty minutes, give or take. Every time Poppy or the twins’ faces popped up in his head, he cringed. 

_Asshole._

“Stop,” he said, out loud.

He didn’t need that at the moment. That could wait until he got home.

Splash!

Branch’s ears twitched with alert and he took a moment to process what that sound was. His first thought was “Bergen,” making his heart beat escalate and his breath catch in his throat. It slowly went back to normal as his logic kicked in and told him that sound wasn’t loud enough to be a Bergen. If a Bergen was that close, he would’ve felt it shake the ground for sure. After taking a moment to gather himself, he walked toward where he believed the noise came from. His self preservation instinct wanted him to just ignore it and head straight home, but he had a gut feeling that he shouldn’t ignore this. If it was something dangerous, he had to make sure that it didn’t endanger the village. As Branch got closer, he heard another noise, making him reach into his hair for a weapon. Just when he was about to pull one out, the noise became words.

“H... help,” a weak voice called out. “Please.”

Branch’s eyes widened with worry. Had one of the trolls wandered into the woods and gotten hurt? The thought alone made him pick up the pace. He finally came to a steep hill, where he saw a troll in the patch of mud at the bottom. The first thing he made out about said troll was squinted eyes as they collapsed further into the mud.

Branch moved quickly, dropping the flashlight and fishing the troll out of the mud. He turned the troll on their back and checked for breathing. The young troll felt a twinge of relief as breath lightly blew against his palm, but noted that it was not steady. Then, he placed his fingers against the neck to check the heartbeat. It was steady, but definitely slow. There was a bandage on the arm that had been loosened with traces of blood on it.

“Are you okay?” he asked, shaking the troll’s shoulder. “Can you hear me?”

Branch tried a few more times, but the troll remained unresponsive. He already knew that this troll needed medical attention right away.

He had to go back to the village as it was closer. Trying to go all the way to his bunker would only endanger the troll. Without hesitation, he picked up the troll, using his hair as extra support. He walked quickly towards the village, completely abandoning his flashlight.

Plum Plimsy was sitting on her couch reading a book titled _Helping Trolls Understand Introverts_ when she heard frantic knocking on her door. 

“Dr. Plum! Are you in there?” shouted a familiar voice.

“Branch?” she asked.

She bookmarked her page then set her reading glasses aside, hurrying to the door. After unlocking it, she opened it, stepping side to let him in.

“What’s the matt-”

She stopped as soon as she saw a troll in the boy’s arms, both of them soaking wet. Seeing his troubled expression, the doctor led him to her infirmary. Dr. Plum patted the bed, instructing Branch to lay the troll down. After he did, the doctor got to work on checking their condition. 

Branch watched her, staring in disbelief as he realized that the troll was grey. Their skin was a much darker shade of gray than his own and their hair was pitch black. He could barely make out the strands. This confused Branch as he knew that he was the only grey troll in Troll Village. Where had this troll come from?

“What happened?” Dr Plum asked.

“I don’t know,” Branch admitted. “I was in the woods, I heard a noise, then I found them flat in the mud.”

“Well, she’s definitely unconscious,” she observed.

So it was a girl. Or a woman, more likely. 

“Her body’s all beat up,” she continued. “Poor thing must’ve been exhausted.”

She looked to Branch.

“Did you elevate her legs?”

Branch flinched when he realized that he hadn’t.

Dr. Plum gave him a look that told him not to worry.

“I need some warm water, a towel and a wash rag,” she told him.

Branch left right away to get those things. By the time he came back, Dr. Plum removed the bandage from the girl’s arm and was tenderly treating the area. Branch frowned deeply when he saw the ugly, swollen wound. 

“Horse wasp,” he said aloud.

Dr. Plum nodded in agreement giving her unconscious patient a look of sympathy. Branch decided to file away that information for later. Setting the injured arm down, she took the supplies from him. She removed the wet clothes from the troll and began to clean the mud off of her. Branch maintained a suitable distance, turned away and let her go on, but stood by in case she needed anything. 

He leaned against the counter, feeling something hard and sharp. Turning around, he saw a knife in a holster that was probably removed from the woman’s person. It was thick with a neutral colored handle and shined under the indoor lights. Branch felt oddly drawn to it and somehow knew that it was handmade. He squinted in concentration as there was something eerily familiar about this weapon. His hand reached for the knife, but flinched away when a flash of pain shot through his hand. Branch gasped in shock, then looked at his hand only to see nothing.

_What the hell was that?_

“Branch?”

Branch whipped around to see Dr. Plum looking questionably at him.

“Yes?” he asked, somewhat shakily.

“I was just saying that I‘m going to put these in the wash,” she said. “Also, I’m going to grab some dry clothes for her.”

“Do you need any help?” he asked.

“No thank you dear, I'll manage,” she said, leaving the room. 

It felt a bit awkward when Branch was left in the infirmary with the unconscious troll. Granted, it hadn’t been the first time he was in such a situation. However, this particular case unsettled him. Had this troll come into their territory on purpose? If so, what was the reason? Was she potentially dangerous?

 _It’s a troll_ , the cynical part of his mind quipped.

 _A troll carrying a dangerous weapon_ , the logical part of his mind countered.

Branch shuddered as he thought of the recent feeling he got from the knife.

Curiosity got the better of him and he approached the mystery troll. He kept his eyes down as if she was suddenly staring at him. She was covered by a towel but he could tell that her waist was smaller than most trolls he had seen. When he carried her from the forest, she felt rather light. He nearly jumped as one of her arms fell from the bed. Branch stared at the arm, seeing it riddled with faint marks, fresh scratches, and bruises. It was safe to assume that there were more throughout her body.

What in the world happened to her?

Branch took her arm and placed it on top of her torso. Through the small action, Branch felt another odd surge of familiarity, this one more comforting. Frustrated with his own hesitance, he finally turned to look at her face and everything froze. 

At first, his face was neutral as if nothing happened. After a few moments of just staring, his eyes widened in realization and extreme disbelief. 

_I know that face._

It had been years and there were differences, but he remembered that face as clear as the last time he saw it. He saw it every other night when he went to sleep.

He didn’t even realize that his hand moved to her face and hovered over her eye. 

_Be sure_ , the voice in the back of his head barely registered.

With a shaky yet gentle touch, he lifted the eyelid.

They’re light blue. 

Tears rushed down his face before he could even register them. Branch moved back slowly, everything around him becoming blurry. There were so many emotions going through him that he couldn’t settle on anything. He felt lost and scared with no real sense of reality. His self preservation was forcing denial on him, while everything else was going hayfire. Those vivid images that tortured him that morning were coming back full force. Trying to convince him that what’s done is done, that his mind was playing tricks on him as a result of that nightmare.

“Branch?!”

Branch’s head snapped over to the door, seeing a purple blur rush towards him. Gentle hands grabbed his own and eased him down to the floor. He could feel his hair being petted as he was instructed to breathe in and out deeply. He didn't know exactly how long he was on the floor, but he knew it was for a while. When his senses eventually came back to him, he got a sense of deja vu. It’d been years since he had more than one breakdown in a single day.

“Branch, what happened?” Dr. Plum asked.

Brach didn’t answer as he was still stuck in his own head. His mind wouldn’t allow him to move forward or come to a proper conclusion. The moment Dr. Plum loosened her hold on him, he flew out of the door. He heard her call out for him, but his body moved by itself, determined to get to his bunker. 

_It’s not her. It can’t be. She’s gone._

**Man, I’m really putting Branch through it, aren’t I? It won’t be too long before I reveal who exactly the mystery troll is.**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ! FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT! SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!**


	6. Breakdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch tries to ignore what previously happened... it doesn't go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a shorter chapter soon to be followed by an even shorter one.  
> Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN TROLLS (2016). IT IS OWNED BY DREAMWORKS.

It was only when Branch made it into his bunker and slammed the door behind him that he felt safe. As much as he could anyway. He slid down to the floor and allowed himself a minute to stay there. There were no coherent thoughts as his emotions rattled his brain. Soon after, he forced himself off of the floor and made his way down to the lowest level of the bunker. The mechanical noises of the elevator seemed louder than usual, making him flinch. 

When he made it to his desired floor, he rushed to the kitchen on instinct, but stopped short of the entrance. It felt as if there was an invisible barrier keeping him from going in. Frustrated, Branch pushed himself forward, but immediately regretted it. The second his foot touched the ebony floor, an eerie chill went up his spine, making his body jolt. He jumped back, now shaking and deeply unsettled. Even in this state, he felt like he was being told something. It made him think back to the knife in the infirmary that gave him the same feeling. As well as the feeling he got when he grabbed her hand.

 _NO,_ his self preservation practically shouted.

Just like that, he snapped back to reality. Enough so that he realized that he was soaking wet and looked down the hallway to see a trail of rain water. Quickly, he went to get a drying cloth and threw it on top of the hardwood. He decided that he would pick it up later, not wanting a replay of what just happened.

Branch went to his room and stripped off his wet clothes. After squeezing them out, he threw them over his bathroom door. He grabbed the nearest clean towel and dried himself from head to toe, being especially thorough with his hair, feeling a fleeting sense of satisfaction. 

Deciding that he didn’t need another shower that evening, he threw on loose clothes and left his room. He was in no way ready to go to sleep, so he might as well get some exercise.

_This isn’t going to go away._

Branch ignored that thought and went up to his exercise room. He would’ve preferred something like organizing or cleaning at the moment, but decided that he was too shaken to do anything without messing it up. 

The teenage troll went on the elliptical this time, trying to busy his mind by watching his progress. He had a lot of calories to burn. 

Branch couldn’t help but smile when he suddenly thought about all the food that Poppy pretty much forced onto his plate.

Quickly, he shook that thought away and continued to exercise. 

Sometime later, he was still going and was practically dripping with sweat. At that rate, he might as well have started harvesting it. Despite his progress, he felt melancholy as he tried to keep the questions running through his mind at bay. 

Try as he might, his mind became invaded by painful images and the happenings of that night. He sped up as if trying to run away from them.

_That face._

He shook his head profusely.

_Those eyes._

A lot of trolls have that eye color.

_You know what you're doing, don’t you?_

Branch closed his eyes so tight that it hurt his cheekbones.

_By ignoring this-_

“Don’t...”

_-you’re acting just like them. Pretending like nothing is wrong._

He sped up even more on the elliptical, creating a loud banging noise.

 _Hypocrite_.

“Shut up!” he shouted angrily.

In his anger, one foot slipped off the pedal, sending him forward.

His face smacked loudly against the machine and his leg got caught between the pedals.

Branch cried out at the unexpected pain and immediately stopped moving. After collecting himself, he freed his leg and moved away from the machine. He took refuge in a corner and rubbed his aching head and foot. As if everything in the past hour wasn’t enough, he started to tear up again.

“It doesn’t even hurt,” he whispered to himself, removing his hand from his head.

But he knew that wasn’t the reason for his tears and his stubbornness didn’t stop them from rushing down his face once more.

Why was this happening now?

He just got started with his own life and responsibilities. He finally built the one place that truly made him feel safe. He was doing just fine.

_When are you ever fine?_

Dejected, Branch curled up in a ball and wrapped his arms tightly around his legs.

“Please don’t do this to me,” he cried.

He wanted it to be her. 

He wanted so bad for it to be true.

But what if it wasn’t? What if he was just terribly mistaken?

“What if it is true?” said a voice in the back of his head.

Nothing in his mind could answer that. His mind was too spent to fathom anything beyond that. 

He stayed there, in a standstill, for at least an hour before his body shut down on him. The only peace his mind offered was past images of the simpler days.


	7. A Friend In Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poppy mulls over the previous night for a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE'S THAT EVEN SHORTER CHAPTER.  
> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TROLLS (2016). IT IS OWNED BY DREAMWORKS.

Sounds of frustration came from Poppy’s pod as she scrapbooked like her life depended on it. After a few minutes, she finished the scrapbook only to frown at the end result, then toss it onto a pile with others.

What started off as a stress relieving scrapbooking session turned into what she began to call stress booking. An hour dedicated to her craft and all she had to show for it was a bunch of mini versions of Branch staring at her with angry, teary eyes.

Poppy let out a loud, defeated sigh and fell back onto her bed. She clung to the bedspread for comfort and looked up at her ceiling as if it could advise her on what to do. Her eyes wandered over to the calendar next to her bed. Yesterday’s date was boldly circled and decorated reading “BRANCH SAID YES!”

Poppy sadly looked away from it, running her hands down her face.

Last night was a disaster, there was no denying it. An exceptional failure on her part.

Where had she gone wrong?

All her other attempts to include Branch or make him happier were at best tolerated and at worst disregarded. This time, however, he made a conscious decision to accept his invitation.

Everything had been going so well. Branch was actually enjoying himself (from what she could tell). When he hadn’t made any attempt to leave early, she thought that there was a chance he would come to future parties (or get togethers). Maybe he would want to hang out with her and the Snack Pack afterwards. Then, they could all be friends.

Then it all went to cupcake crap when he freaked out. Over what, she didn’t exactly know. Poppy had seen one or two of Branch’s outbursts about the Bergens and while those alarmed her sometimes, they were short lived and quickly forgotten. Most trolls found it more annoying when he disrupted social gatherings or scared them when there was no Bergen in sight. Some were even starting to avoid him. But, this was the first time she ever saw him cry. Poppy didn’t know Branch as well as the twins did, but she knew that he would not consciously cry in front of anyone. It made her wonder  _ why _ he freaked out. Something in Poppy felt like this wasn’t the standard “the Bergens are coming” stuff. 

All she deduced was that it happened during that one song,  _ Total Eclipse of the Heart _ . She supposed that it was a sad song, but that was still a very strong reaction. Maybe it reminded him of something bad. What could be so bad that hearing a song would hurt him like that?

Her face pinched in confusion and frustration.

It would be so much easier if he just talked to them, to her. She was his friend, she just wanted to help him. Why couldn’t he see that?

Or did he not see her that way?

Poppy shook her head before that thought went any further. 

No, she wasn’t going to think that way.

Not since years ago, when Poppy first proclaimed to Branch that they were friends, had he denied it. That was all she needed, because if nothing else, Branch was honest with how he felt about people. She’d learned that from watching how he acted with Satin and Chenille. He would’ve made it clear if he didn’t want her around. 

Poppy takes care of her friends and she was going to do that for Branch if it killed her. He deserved to be happy just like any other troll.

She needed to talk to Branch soon.

But first.

Poppy reached down to the floor and grabbed her crafting supplies, pulling them onto her bed.

She knew that helping Branch wouldn’t be easy, but she could start with a care package. After making the card, she would go into the village and grab a few things for her grey friend.

For good measure, she would throw in cookies. And Cupcakes, definitely.

A smile appeared on Poppy’s face as she got to work on project Get Branch to Open Up.

Take that bad vibes.

NOTES: STILL WORKING ON THAT REVEAL. IT'LL COME SOON ENOUGH. THANKS FOR READING! FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT!

**Author's Note:**

> *When Branch is half asleep and feels his body drop, that's something that occasionally happens to me when I wake up in the middle of the night. It freaks me out.
> 
> Well, that's the prologue. Thank you so much for reading, I hope that it intrigued you. I'm already working on the official first chapter. Feel free to leave a comment.


End file.
